In Cones
by that part always worked
Summary: [Literati/Javajunkie] A ghost from her past has suddenly started making himself everywhere she turns. Post orginial series, without revival plot points.
1. Chapter 1

Rory opened the oak door to her favorite stop on her way home from the office; a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop with the perfect music and that heavenly, heavenly smell. The stark contrast between the city air and the coffee aroma was intoxicating and put her into a slight daze. She walked to the counter without looking around, with her head focused on finding the wallet in her bag. She was only hoping to be a minute before returning to her walk home. But the counter felt different… and it took a moment for Rory to look up and realize that there was a person in front of her in line and the mortification set it.

"Oh geez! I am so so so sorry, I wasn't looking and I didn't mean to walk right into you. Here, please let me get your coffee, I can't believe I just did this, I.."

"Rory?"

Rory's mouth stopped its rambling and recognition set in as she lifted her eyes to meet the stranger she just accidentally felt up in the coffee shop that she now to had to abandon forever out of embarrassment.

"J-Jess? What are you d- I- um, Hi," she stammered and tried to pick her jaw up off the ground. When did he get so… The blush set in and she could practically hear his smirk before she saw it.

Before she could reel herself in, Jess had turned to the cashier behind the _actual_ counter and ordered a second coffee, she assumed for her. He left a bill on the counter and mumbled to keep the change as he picked up the second coffee from the counter. All the while, Rory quickly checked herself, straightened her skirt a little, and tucked a stray hair behind her ears. Why was she so nervous? This was just her Jess. _Her Jess._ Where, the hell, did that come from?

"Do you want me to pretend none of that happened and you can start over?" Jess teased gently as he motioned to a table and set a coffee across from himself and slid himself into the booth. He looked happy, and he looked perfect.

"I am afraid it's too late for starting over," She blurted out before realizing it might have applied to much more than this incident. Nevertheless, he just smiled a small crooked smile, took his own coffee in hand, and kept his eyes down. They hadn't seen each in a few years and she didn't know how to handle him.

"I am sorry for running into you so absentmindedly, I was distracted, I guess," She tried to bring the conversation back to where it started. He looked up at her with a little smirk and Rory felt her stomach doing back-flips.

"It's okay; I like seeing you flustered Rory Gilmore. It has always been a good look on you. Want to get out of here?" There she was; just as quickly as he had led them here, they were walking out the door together.

"Jess, what are you doing here? In my coffee shop? Buying me a far too small coffee?"

"Huh"

"Oh don't 'huh' me, Mariano, you blew your cover long ago, I know that head is full of words, now spill"

He liked to watch her roll through the myriad of Rory emotions so quickly, she was squirming and he wondered if there was someone else in her life that could rile her up like he used to.

They were walking down towards the park and she was walking close enough to squeeze into his side when they had to make room for others on the sidewalk. He couldn't tell her why he had really come the three hours to see her, because he didn't really know why couldn't have just picked up the phone and called her. Luke had given him her number to do it, but he just found himself in a car, on his way to see her.

"I just had some business up here this week and wanted to get a feel for the best coffee in the area."

"Huh" He looked over and saw that she seemed really quite proud of herself for a fine mockery.

"So, do you often run into people hands first? Or was that an intentional feel up?"

"You are loving every second of this aren't you?"

"Oh, absolutely." They found a comfortable banter that carried them down a few blocks.

The pair seemed to have slowed into a stroll and found themselves walking around a park and Jess was leading them towards a bench. Rory hesitated before sitting down next to Jess. She hated how comfortable and suave he was being, when she was so visibly flustered with running into the ex-boyfriend she had the most conflicted feelings for. He saw her stiffen up instead of sitting down.

"Please Rory, I promise to stop teasing you. I just want to talk to my oldest friend about something."

"Okay," she said and sat down but noticed the gravity of his sentence stirring up her questions already.

"Are you nervous?" He asked, being gentle after visibly changing her comfort from the banter of before.

"Yeah, it's been a long time, that's all," and she echoed a conversation they had a long time ago. He caught on.

"I'm nervous too," and he brushed her arm lightly to break her out of her bubble. They shared a small smile.

"I know this come as a surprise to you, but I'm getting married in a few weeks. Your mom and Luke are coming to the wedding and I wanted to know if you would come, or if it would be too weird. I just felt like this was something I didn't want to spring on you with a wedding invite." Jess tried to look happy and he hoped that none of his nerves was apparent in his speech. Last time he had just shown up and presented something to her, it was his book.

"You are getting married? That is, well, I- congratulations Jess! Is it weird? Maybe I shouldn't go. Does your girlfriend- oh well I guess she is your fiancé now because that has the emphasis and everything. It's a weird word though right? Fiancé? Why do we only have a French word for that and not every status of relationship? I never liked that word much-Fiancé."

"Rory." Jess broke her ramble with a hand on her arm to break the cycle.

"Yeah?" She finally looked at him, and for a moment, she saw something she hadn't seen in a long time, although this time it was for this other woman, with whom he was going to marry- soon. "Oh Jess, I really am happy for you, I think that's what I meant to say." And Rory liked to believe that she meant it.

"Maybe I shouldn't have blindsided you like this. I should go," and Jess gathered himself a little, and stood up and faced her on the bench, "There is always a seat waiting for you, if you want to come. It's been a pleasure, Rory." Then Jess gave her a long look and walked off and crossed the street as a mob of people started moving and she lost sight of him.

What the hell just happened? Jess? Getting married? Did I even know he had a girlfriend? Rory sat and tried to collect her thoughts but they were running rampant. Why shouldn't Jess get married? He deserves to be happy, and it's not like they were too young any more. Before Rory knew what her next move was, she was calling her mom.

"HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME!" Rory whisper-yelled, holding her head in her free hand and balancing her elbows on her knees on a park bench.

"So, you got an invite?"

"HE SHOWED UP MOM, and I had NO IDEA he was even dating someone!" Rory stood up suddenly and started to let her body's pace match how her mind is racing.

"He came to New York? On a Tuesday? Who just goes to New York on a Tuesday? Did he show up in a Chilton uniform? That would have been full circle." Her mother was giggling and finding the irony hilarious.

"Mom, I really think you are missing the weird part about this. Why would he just show up? And why couldn't you have given me a heads up that he was getting married?"

"Well, Luke asked me not to, he said Jess wanted to be the one to break it to you, I'm sorry sweets I thought he would have just called you or something. Are you running? Is someone chasing you? Are you running willingly?" "

"I'm just FREAKING OUT, Mom! Yes, I am panic running like a crazy person because I am FREAKING OUT."

"So, you are coming to the wedding, right? That's why you are panicking right? This thing with you and Jess has been over for years, right Rory?" Rory slowed her speed walking around the park perimeter, stopped, and looked at the bench where she had just been sitting with the boy from her past.

"Rory?"

"Yeah, it's long over, I don't know why it's bothering me so much. I think I was blown away. I don't think I should come to the wedding though, that would be too weird."

"Well, think about it kid, it sounds twisted but you are part of the small group of people that cares about that man, and sometimes it's just about support. Think about it Ror, and let me know if you want to go shopping for a really, really evil dress"

"MOM!"

"Love you!" Lorelai snickered as she hung up.

Rory felt more mixed up about a man she tried to pretend she never thought about, but he crept into every margin of a great novel. He was the one she wanted to call up and talk to about her theories on certain authors or show truly wonderful Thai food. She had been ignoring that part of her for years because letting it have validation would only create this hole in her that she didn't need. She was the one to hurt him last time, and she didn't want to push her luck on trying to be friends, and he had been keeping his distance the last few years. She was busy, she was writing and editing for a decent magazine and was still trying to move her way up and didn't need distractions. He was the reason she had even gone back to college, and in a way she credited him with all her successes. But, he was someone else's person.

The walk home was a blur, and Rory sat on her couch and stared at the wall awhile before she made any moves to make herself eat or change out of work clothes.

She hated to believe that her mom was right about being part of Jess' support system, but with Luke being like a surrogate parent to the both of them for so long, she couldn't deny that as much as there was a romantic history with Jess, she missed his friendship and support too. She would go to the wedding.

* * *

Rory was on her lunch break at work, reading with a content absence of time and a furrowed brow. Her phone broke her from the weaving flow of Faulkner and she answered although she didn't recognize the number.

"Hi, is this Lorelai Gilmore?" The voice sounded rushed but friendly enough.

"Uh, well technically yes, but it's Rory"

"Oh sorry, this is Sarah, Jess' fiancé. I was just trying to get a number for the wedding and I saw your name on the undecided list, do you know if you will be able to make it to the wedding? I don't have an address for you, or I would have sent an RSVP. Sorry to put you on the spot!" Dang.

"Oh well, yes, I was planning on attending, if you have room of course.." The words came out without a filter and although she had decided loosely to go, she was hoping not to commit to a decision yet.

"Okay thank you! We will see you July 27th! Can't wait to meet you Lorelai!" Then the line went dead.

"It's Rory." She said to no one.

* * *

"Jess, I think there is a typo, we have two Lorelai's on the guest list." Sarah called as Jess was just starting dinner in their little apartment.

"Well one is my uncle's wife, and the other one is her daughter." He said, hoping to end the questions with a vague explanation.

"Luke said you dated his wife's daughter in high school, is that the same one?" There was no malice in this question, just curiosity.

"Yeah, Rory. We dated a little in high school but she's just more of a good friend."

"I thought no exes at the wedding? Isn't that bad luck or something?" Sarah was getting a sort of tone that implied that she needed to win this conversation, but Jess was determined on this.

"It's not like that, she's just important to me and like part of my family, Sarah. I don't believe in bad luck," and with that Jess turned on the water and drowned out the sound of any backlash. He didn't want to appear to be over enthusiastic about Rory coming, but Rory was important. She was the reason he turned his life around, her and Luke. He wrote a book because of her, because she believed in everything he did when he gave her countless reasons not to. He credited any of success as a functioning human to that woman.

* * *

"He went to go see her? On a Tuesday?" Luke kept disappearing into the diner kitchen and then poking his head out to have a conversation with his wife at the counter.

"Right! Who does that? And he didn't call first or text or snapchat or skype or whatever, he just showed up!" But as she was saying it, she remembered that this was Jess they were talking about, the king of showing up unexpectedly.

"Huh" Luke tilted his head at her and then got a worried look over his face that he hoped he was hiding from Lorelai.

"Luke Danes, what do you know?" Lorelai gasped and ran behind the counter to join him by the kitchen door.

"Jess asked for Rory's address a while ago but I just figured it was for his invitations so I didn't think to mention it."

"He didn't say anything about showing up did he? Because Rory served me a lashing of hushed yelling while sprinting and I would like to think that I could have avoided that."

"Well," and in Luke fashion, the words were to slow coming out than Lorelai could handle.

"What do you know, mister?" Mock threat? Luke wasn't sure sometimes.

"He said he wanted to be the one to talk to her, you knew that too. Knowing those two, just showing up seems to be more their style. Kind of makes sense actually." Luke had rationalized the situation well enough to be out of his mind but unfortunately, he was the only one convinced.

"That was when they were Rory and Jess, on-again, off-again, and infuriating. It doesn't make sense for him to do it now," but even as she said it, she wasn't sure.

Lorelai had a hard time hating Jess anymore, and they were actually pretty close for former enemies. As much as he was a messed up kid that played with her daughter's heart, he turned out to be a surprisingly responsible guy that any mom would approve of.


	2. Chapter 2

Rory drove up to the Crap Shack and turned her lights off. She stared a minute to see if there was anyone else home, but the house looked dark and it was too early for anyone to be asleep. Her mom and Luke were probably at the diner or at dinner or something, but she just wanted to unwind and relax before trying to track her mom down. She would see her in the morning to go shopping anyway.

Rory grabbed her overnight bag and made her way to the porch. Something felt different but she had a hard time figuring out what it could be, but she made her way inside and turned right to her room.

She had only been here a few weeks ago for a visit so she expected everything in her room to be undisturbed and so she didn't bother with turning on light. She had fallen down on this bed a million times and it was one of the few things she had absolute trust in. Except for this one time.

Rory started climbing onto her bed, felt what she hoped was a leg, screamed, and jumped up and ran out of her room within the space of a second.

"Wait, Rory!"

She stopped dead in her tracks while the adrenaline pumped through her. She turned from the kitchen and walked back towards her door where she knew the voice was now this person standing in the dark just a few inches away from her.

"I'm sorry to freak you out," Jess said as he turned on her bedroom light and stood with hair on end and was wearing just basketball shorts and socks. "Luke and your mom were at the apartment and they said I could sleep here tonight, I was just in here reading and I knocked out. I'll go to the couch, I'm sorry I thought they would have given you a heads up."

Jess gathered his things off her bed and made to leave the room but Rory was blocking the door. He looked exhausted even though it wasn't late.

"It's okay Jess," she said, looking into his face for a moment longer than she should, but she was desperately trying not to stare at his body. "I'll sleep upstairs, you should stay. I'm sorry I woke you up." She hoped she was pulling off the calm exterior thing that she was never much good with.

"Thanks, and Rory?" Jess said with a bit of a smile playing on his lips.

"Yeah?"

"This is the second time you've copped a feel without permission and I'm afraid it's going to make our friendship a little awkward." Jess smirked and soaked up every second of Rory's jaw dropping to defend herself.

"Goodnight Rory, he said with a quick smile and went to turn the light off and turn back to bed.

Rory mumbled to herself as she climbed the stairs and hated that she kept handing Jess these vulnerable moments that let her look like a fool. She should have called her mom before coming home. Although there would not have been much regret when it came to running into Jess in her bed ages ago, it seemed out of place in her life now. Unexpectedly, part of her missed it.

Rory woke up at an ungodly hour and felt around the floor next to her mom's bed for her bag without opening her eyes yet, and when she couldn't feel it, she sat up and peered around. It wasn't up here, did she bring it into the house? Then reality hit her hard, and the only place it could be was dropped somewhere in her room; the room with her scantily clad and now impossibly beautiful ex-boyfriend. She could wait until the morning to get her back, but what if it had opened and her things spilled out? What if Jess woke up and tripped on something embarrassing that had fallen out? Her mind was wailing and Rory snuck out of the room and down the stairs to make the journey to her childhood bedroom as stealthily as conceivable.

Her fall back plan was that if he heard her coming down the stairs and said anything, she would just veer towards the kitchen and feign a poptart craving, which was an true statement; but that was beside the point.

So far, she felt like she had been as silent as possible and had heard no movement from her room, but as she turned left off the stairs she saw Jess sitting at the kitchen table, asleep, his head laying on his left arm and his right arm cradling a pack of Oreos. It was enough to elicit a giggle from Rory, luckily quiet enough not to wake him. She snuck into her room and grabbed her bag and tiptoed quickly back to the stairs to set her backpack on the bottom step. She knew she should wake him up so that he could go back to bed instead of waking up to Lorelai's ridicule when she came home in a few hours.

With determination and wariness, Rory gently shook Jess' shoulder while saying his name to wake him.

"No" Jess whined, still asleep and fighting wakefulness.

"Come on Jess, let's get you back to bed, you can even take mister Oreo if he helps you stay asleep," Rory spoke to him gently and felt like he was just a sleepy kid. She removed the pack of cookies from one hand and took it in her own to try to drag him up.

"Rooooooorrrrrry, I can't sleep in there, don't make me go." He sounded so sad, and it was a sort of plea she didn't want to pry about just now. He still didn't seem to really be awake, just in that zombie-like state of being freshly woken up.

"Jess, it's okay, just come to the couch at least, you can't stay at the table, your back will hate you tomorrow." And with a groan Jess submitted and shuffled to the living room with Rory walking behind him. He only had one eye peeped open and when he plopped onto the couch it closed again and Rory watched how quickly he was falling back asleep. She smiled, despite herself, and covered him with blankets and tucked a pillow under his head.

She turned to move back upstairs, when she felt Jess reaching for her hand.

"Thanks," Jess squeezed her hand for a moment and then settled back to fall asleep. Rory fought the tingle that was enveloping her and moved quickly upstairs. It was taking more effort than it should to fight all her instincts. She met her mom's pillow and lied restlessly until she decided to grab a book and give in to the adrenaline-infused wakefulness.

* * *

"Ah, Jess said you would be here, although I had a little trouble figuring out why you weren't in your own bed if he was on the couch." Lorelai sat on the edge of the bed and faced a disheveled and exhausted looking Rory sitting up in her mother's bed.

"I can't go to the wedding, Mom. I don't know what's wrong with me, but this whole thing is effecting me way more than it should. If I went, I would just be a mess." Rory practically whispered the last part to herself and couldn't make eye contact with her mom.

"Ah, so you did see him without his shirt. I thought that might make trouble." Lorelai tried to make light and play off the situation. She didn't want to admit that she was worrying for her daughter's sake that she wasn't completely over Jess. Rory gave a small smile and forced herself to cope.

"Shirt or no shirt, it's overwhelming. Jess and I have barely seen each other over the years. We seem to keep missing each other when visiting you guys, and now I keep seeing him and I'm never prepared.

"Well sweets, Luke is his family too, I thought you had gotten used to having to see him around when it came to family stuff."

"This time is different, for some reason, when he came to see me; I thought he was there _for_ me. How stupid is that? God, I'm just being pathetic now." Rory fell sideways back onto the bed and groaned.

"Oh, sorry I didn't mean to interrupt. I just was seeing if you ladies wanted breakfast," Jess had peeked in from the doorway but was hiding himself when he saw the two in the midst of a seemingly serious conversation.

"The answer to that question will always be yes, have you not met us?" Lorelai got up, walked towards the door, and said something to Jess out of Rory's earshot to Jess. She walked back to the bed and Rory heard Jess' tread on the steps.

"Oh my god! He probably heard me; he knows I am some lovesick puppy falling all over him in the middle of the night!"

"Wait, back up, mommy doesn't understand. You fell. Or pounced?" And Lorelai seemed newly enthralled with the situation.

"I didn't know he was in my bed and I jumped right on top of him and then ran screaming from the room!"

Lorelai stifled a giggle but her smile spoke for her.

"Oh it is not funny! I have to walk down there and see him and casually eat with him now!" Rory was groaning but her stomach was going to win the test of willpower if it came to hiding out up here.

"Kid, you are the only one overthinking this, I'm sure he doesn't even remember." Lorelai left the room and made to head downstairs for breakfast.

Rory brought herself downstairs, and the table was full of food that wasn't from a takeout box. For a moment the smell of pancakes brought a simple smile to her lips and she dropped her discomfort and reached to grab herself a cup of coffee.

"We got you one already, although knowing a Gilmore, a second cup may not be a bad idea." Jess and his pleasant smirk was sitting at the kitchen table, the same one he was sleeping on last night. This time he had on a tshirt and his hair looked like it had been brushed down a little. He was between her mom and a seat empty for her. She put down the cup in her hand and went to sit next to Jess and Luke.

"I don't think I will ever get used to the kitchen actually being used to cook, thanks for breakfast Luke," Rory reached for the cup on the table that seemed meant for her and went to take a sip.

"I just got here, this was all Jess." Rory almost spit her coffee and the table seemed to find enjoyment in her slight choking.

"Well, I just wanted to thank you all for letting me crash here last night, I'm sorry it was a sudden appearance." Jess seemed a little sad during his speech and Luke looked straight at Jess for a solid moment before speaking.

"Jess, you are always welcome here, you always have been. Right, Lorelai?"

"Oh, of course! You are one of us, Mariano. Wow that is a sentence I never would have anticipated ten years ago." Jess gave his sad smile, but looked genuinely grateful and then snuck a look at Rory, who was staring at him and had been during this whole exchange.

"So, Rory, how did you manage to get a weekend off? I thought you were crazy busy this month?" Luke asked while turning back to his eggs.

"Oh, well I was going to steal Mom today and go shopping in Hartford for um, blazers." Rory gave her mom a pleading look that was asking for back up.

"Yeah, this kid is severely lacking blazers for a fancy writer; I think she needs my professional assistance." Lorelai winked at her child and Jess looked to Luke to see if he was also seeing through the story, but the older Danes seemed oblivious.

"Well, Jess, how long are you here for? I have to get back to the diner soon."

"I might stay another night if that's okay, I just have some things here I need to take care of before heading back."

"Just make sure you say goodbye before you leave," Luke said pointing a fork at Jess and then gathering himself to head back to work.

Jess just smiled and enjoyed the protectiveness Luke still offered after all Jess had put him through. Rory had made quick work of her pancakes and coffee during the exchange, and was getting ready to push her seat back and get up also, but her mom beat her to it.

"I have to check on the inn, but I will be back in an hour to pick you up, then we can get those blazers? Sound good, kid?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Rory sounded small because she knew this now meant that she was being left alone with Jess.

Jess was looking down at his food while Rory watched her mom leave.

"Blazers? Huh." Jess was holding a smile that she didn't realized she missed so much.

"Am I that transparent?" Rory tried to match his humor at her terrible lying skills.

"I think you keep forgetting who you are dealing with Miss Gilmore. I know you, remember?" And the words reminded her of Jess screaming those words at her when she had dropped out of Yale. _I know you, this isn't you._

"I have to buy a dress for your wedding." Rory avoided his eyes because her mind was still living in the past and she didn't want to keep giving herself away.

"Oh." Jess seemed to squirm next to her and they both looked down at their food respectively before turning to sneak glances at each other.

"I wouldn't buy it just yet." Jess said sadly to his food. But Rory froze and stared straight at him without words to say.


	3. Chapter 3

"I have to buy a dress for your wedding." Rory avoided his eyes because her mind was still living in the past and she didn't want to keep giving herself away.

"Oh." Jess seemed to squirm next to her and they both looked down at their food respectively before turning to sneak glances at each other.

"I wouldn't buy it just yet." Jess said sadly to his food. But Rory froze and stared straight at him without words to say.

He waited for the questions that weren't coming, so he sighed and started explaining.

"Rory, this stays between us for now, okay?" He was nervous, but her continued.

"I found something out a few days ago, and I don't know how to talk to Sarah about it, but it is safe to say there won't be a wedding. That's why I'm here I guess, I just ran and I know I need to take care of it but I'm not ready." Jess kept his head down and Rory was thinking too quickly to formulate words, but she put her hand on his and just held it there, hoping it was the right thing to do.

"Jess, do you want to get out of here?"

* * *

Rory sat cross-legged, while Jess swung his legs over the bridge and they both just sat and stared off into the water. Rory had texted her mom that they weren't going to go Hartford, that she had to help Jess with something today. This was the first thing that Jess had shared with Rory that he actually liked about Stars Hollow, and it seemed to be where she always pictured herself when she thought about them.

"It's weird being here with you, Rory." Jess said while playing with something in his pocket and keeping his eyes focused on something far away.

"Bad weird?" Rory asked quietly.

He turned to look at her and smiled. "I just keep waiting to wake up."

She knew what he meant. This was their spot and she didn't know why she was leading him here, but they both seemed to naturally guide themselves back the bridge as they left the house.

"What happened with Sarah, Jess? Why are you hiding out?"

"Off the record?" Rory smiled, and nodded a small reassuring nod.

"I have been picking up hints about something Sarah has been hiding from me, and at first I ignored them because I was trying to let her have the benefit of the doubt. But a few too many things lined up last week and it became pretty obvious what he's been hiding. I knew if I stayed, I would have exploded, Rory. I'd like to think I'm not the guy that screams at people he loves anymore." Rory knew he was trying to make her see that he was a different guy now, and watching him work out a situation in front of her was actually the most they had talked about anything personal in years. She remember trying so hard all that time just for him to let her in, and now he was handing her the keys and the timing was all wrong.

Jess puffed out a sigh what pushed the hair in his face up slightly and he stayed silent long enough that Rory thought she was filling in the blanks pretty well without the explanation.

She put a hand on his shoulder, and after a while, he reached his hand over and squeezed it.

"You still need to talk to her Jess, you can't just run." The gravity of the advice that was probably given to this man more than once hung in the air.

"It never really feels over without saying goodbye, does it?"

"Remember when I hopped on a bus to New York, just because you left without saying goodbye?" She didn't say this with bad intentions, but she made her point.

"That's different Rory, you and me?" He paused and he looked at her, "I never gave us a fighting chance and we still kept finding each other. This time I really tried Rory, I thought I was doing everything right and it still didn't work out. What's that suppose to mean?"

"I know she did something to hurt you Jess, and I'm not trying to defend her, but for you-you should go back." What was she doing? Handed this man back on a silver platter? But she knew that he wasn't going to be okay if he just ran and never went back; there would be too many unanswered questions.

He looked her face over, and slowly he came to nod. She was right.

They shared a long look and then Rory dropped her hand and stood up, but she didn't leave. She waited a moment until he joined her, and they walked towards the diner in silence.

* * *

"You're leaving? I thought you were going to stay another night?" Luke made a gruff sigh from behind the counter. It was just then that he gave Rory a look and tried to imagine what the two could have talked about that was making Jess leave so soon. Did they fight?

"I should have done something before I came down, and I'm afraid it's too important to leave another day. I might be back soon, I'll leave my bag at the house, if that's okay?" Jess was fidgeting but he was sure in his resolve to drive out of town as quickly as he could.

"Yeah, sure. Just uh, call soon, okay?" Luke seemed to accept the situation and reached out for a quick hug.

Jess turned and gave them both a smile before leaving the diner. Rory turned back to look at Luke after Jess had disappeared behind the gazebo. He was watching her watch Jess and she blushed slightly and looked away.

"I thought you were going out of town with your mom today?" He smiled like he knew a secret.

"I, uh, I realized I didn't really need those blazers, I can wait a little longer. I might just stick around for the day though, before I drive back to the city."

"Uh-huh" Luke said and gave Rory a knowing look.

Rory knew that Jess meant for her not to tell anyone when he said 'off the record' but hiding anything from her mom and Luke was a true test of will power when they were around. Was she just going to drive back to the city and never see Jess again? Without a wedding, she didn't see their paths crossing any time soon. I mean, that's how it was before, right? And she was doing just fine before. Right?

When she reached her childhood home, she realized her mom was still at the inn, or out somewhere and the house would be her own for a little while. Rory was mentally making a list of books she wanted to bring back to her apartment while she was walking through the front door. She heard someone in the house and paused in the hall.

"Hello?" Rory said weakly to the house.

From the couch a rustling came and she saw Jess' face emerge from apparently digging through the cushions for something.

"Oh, hey, I can't find my keys, have you seen them?" He seemed like a storm passing through more than a man tossing around pillows.

"Did you check the bed?" She said pointing to her room.

"Oh, right, I forgot I was in your room." And Jess rushed past her in a breeze. As he brushed past her, he put out a hand on her waist casually, like people who are around each other do when occupying a home together. He didn't seem to notice the contact, he did it absentmindedly.

"Yes! They were under the bed, that's so weird I forgot I was even there," he paused as he left the room and looked at the kitchen table and then at Rory. He looked he was just accounting for his movements over the previous night and trying to figure out her part in it.

"I guess I should be going then," Jess gave a small smile to Rory and then went to pass by out the door but Rory saw herself catch his arm as he went by.

"You forgot 'goodbye', remember?" She said with a smile, but he just raised an eyebrow and gave her one last sly smile before leaving.

No, it never really does.

A few weeks later, Jess found himself making the same escape to Stars Hollow, but with a little more luggage than last time. He had made himself a remote partner at work and emptied his office, as well as his share of his apartment, and he still had few enough possessions to fit in a few duffels.

He had made the call to Luke last night, filling him in what was going on and Luke insisted that he come stay as long as he needed to. Sarah said she would inform everyone else about the wedding, she said it was the least she could do anyway.

When Jess had rushed home last time to confront her, he had walked in to her with someone else in the apartment. Someone in his bed, wearing his socks and kissing his fiancé. There was no fight after that, it seemed like a well-closed case and he was almost relieved at the finality of the situation. Sarah was apologetic about what she had done, but was not asking him to forgive her. They met a few days later to divide their things and Jess had been sleeping in his office since then. The decision to transfer himself to a fully online position was only supposed to be temporary while he found a new apartment, but he liked the freedom of being able to work where and when he wanted.

The decision to go back to Stars Hollow was the second one he considered; the first was New York. Thinking it was just nostalgia from his childhood, he realized it was more because of a certain brunette sitting in a coffee shop somewhere running into other unassuming men. Although there would always be underlying feelings there, Jess felt like rehashing the past would just make things worse between them. They would never fix this thing between them, they had let too much time pass and had hurt each other too many times. That didn't stop him from thinking about her.

Jess was making his exit towards Stars Hollow, and made to go straight to the diner. It was early enough that Luke should still be around and he could take his things upstairs without too many patrons witnessing the outlaw's return. His mind wandered to Rory and he wondered if she knew he was coming back, her mom had to have told her by now-news traveled quickly between the two.

It was summer, and his shirt was clinging to his back and he peeled himself from the little car. He reached through the back window to grab his bags and tried to sneak in the diner with no witnesses. He looked and saw practically the whole town staring at his through Luke's window. Great. So much for a quiet entrance.

"Hey mom, what's up?" Rory said while typing out her last edit of the night.

"Wanna guess who is newly single and living above the diner?"

"Uh, Kirk? What happened to Lulu?"

"No, not Kirk, do you really think Luke would let Kirk live upstairs? No, someone a little more Holden Caulfield. Rory, _he moved in,_ there was a lot of baggage involved."

"He can't move to Connecticut, he runs a publishing house. He's probably just storing stuff with Luke of something, Mom," Rory closed her laptop and started pacing the office. Was she hoping he wasn't really back? Either way, she was in New York, it's not like he showed up for her. He just needed a place and Luke offered, nothing more.

"He told Luke he transferred all his responsibilities to be able to work from home, kid. And right now this is his home. So…. I was thinking you could be a good girl and visit mommy to relieve her of the overwhelming testerone that is now everywhere. Please. If you don't show up soon I might have to ship myself to your apartment and I do not think you have enough poptarts for the both of us." Her mom ended her ramble and Rory mulled over the fact that she did have a little leeway in her schedule and could write from Stars Hollow this week and send in her drafts while everyone was at work.

"Fine, I'll relieve you, but I know what you are doing."

"And I know someone that will be very happy to see you. Love you sweets." Lorelai hung up and turned to Luke who was sitting next to her at the Crap Shack.

"What are you up to Lorelai? I thought you hated those kids together."

"That was when they were dragging each other through the dirt, but I think if they don't figure it out soon they might miss their chance and my kid is going to end up with someone I really hate, like someone my _mom_ would like. Bleh." She gave a dramatic shiver and looked at Luke.

"Yeah, I saw the way Rory was looking at him last time, and it was just like looking at them in high school. Do you really think they can figure it out this time?"

"We did it, didn't we?" Lorelai leaned her head onto his shoulder and they both sat up in bed thinking about Jess and Rory.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey Lane, can I borrow this?" Rory walked out of Lane's bedroom holding a tee shirt and Lane smiled knowingly.

"Rory Gilmore, are you trying to seduce a boy with a Clash shirt?" Lane mock-lectured to a babbling Rory.

"What! No I'm, no, Lane, no. I'm not even thinking about that. I just don't want to look like I'm auditing him. All I packed was work clothes because I was in a rush."

"Why such a rush? I'm sure Lorelai could have waited a few more hours to see you. Does Jess know you're here yet?"

"I-I don't think so, I don't know if my mom told him or not."

"Yes, borrow the shirt, change your shoes so you aren't towering over him, and get a move on so you can tell me everything later. Go go!" The Mrs. Kim in Lane was pushing Rory back to the bedroom to change quickly and go see Jess.

"Nothing's going to happen! I'm just going to say 'hi'!" Rory yelled through the door.

"'Hi, would you like to see my books? I know your moves Rory. Just go for it already!"

Rory was quiet for a moment and then re-emerged with a slightly more comfortable attire but a face that read panic. This would be the first time that Rory and Jess would be around each other without anything holding them back for the first time in years and Rory was trying to tone down how nervous she really was. On the drive home, all she could think about was seeing him. That had to mean something, right?

* * *

"Jess, come downstairs for a minute! I need to run out!" Luke yelled from the stairs and Jess finished writing one more sentence before joining his uncle downstairs. It felt weird being up here, but it was nice to feel like he had a home to come back to.

When Jess pushed the curtain back he saw Lorelai and Rory sitting at the counter sipping coffee, and Lorelai looked like she was about to leave with Luke. Rory was pointedly not looking at him, and being obvious about it.

Jess stepped behind the counter and grabbed the coffee pot to refill her mug, and gave her a wink before making a round to the few people eating that looked like they were about to finish up. Rory smiled into her coffee as she took a sip and waited for Jess to return to the counter. Her mom and Luke had slid out for an imaginary errand.

"So, Rory Gilmore. There is no way that you are wearing that shirt in front of me on accident," Jess leaned his elbows on the counter and smiled close to her face.

She had no defense but smiled back and shrugged lightly.

"I think I like this better than that prep school get-up that drove me crazy in high school," Rory choked a little and Jess laughed softly.

Lorelai and Luke peeked back through the window and saw those two with their heads close together and deep in some giggly conversation and Lorelai knew that not that much had to have changed between those two. They had some cosmic chemistry that made it impossible for them not to get along.

They walked around the square a few times to give them a few uninterrupted moments to catch up. Luke held her hand and they strolled as two content accomplices do.

"How long are you staying? Just the night? A few days?" Jess asked after refilling her coffee.

"Well, actually, I don't know. I guess it depends on how things go," Rory slipped a little more than she intended and hoped it passed as a vague response but Jess clung to it.

"Things? Huh."

"Yeah, just stuff; I had a few days I could work from home, so I used it as a chance to visit Mom."

"Well, if you aren't too busy with things and stuff, I have an author I want to show you while you are here. I have been editing his stuff for a while now and I think you would really get into this book," Jess was excited about it and Rory was feeding off his excitement, just as they used to talk about books for hours.

"I always have time for an excellent book, Jess" Rory believed this was an innocent exchange, and she was gauging his movements now to see if they were cordial or well, more than that.

"I was hoping you still felt that way." He smiled, and nodded a little at her and then got back to refilling drinks around the room.

Rory was happy to spend some time with Jess that gave them both something to focus on other than each other, she could already feel herself falling back into their pattern of unspoken flirting and she needed to start guarding herself a little more. Besides, Jess just broke off an engagement, and he was probably just being friendly to Rory. She didn't need to fall blindly for a guy that she had hurt and had been hurt by so often. But, he was Jess. Something so natural felt to be flowing between them and it was like an altered state of consciousness around him.

"So, come by later? I have some work I still need to finish but I should be done around six," Jess said to Rory as Luke walked back in to take back over the diner.

"Yeah, six." Rory said and hopped up and rushed out, knowing her mom was waiting around the corner for her somewhere to spill the beans.

Jess stood behind the counter with Luke and watched Rory walk away until she curved around a corner, and Luke was watching his gaze follow her. He shook his head with a small smirk and played with his hat before shooing Jess back upstairs.

"Did the shirt work?" Lane was grilling Rory for info on the phone a few seconds later.

"Lane, nothing happened." Rory sighed.

"Well I know that, I could see you from my window. If I would have seen you coming down from the apartment I wouldn't have had to ask if it worked." Rory looked around and noticed that Lane was waving from her window.

Lorelai saw Rory from down the street and started walking towards her.

"Lane I gotta go, I will get your shirt back to you tomorrow I promise."

"Hey, if it gets you lucky, just keep it. I would like to think I helped in this." Lane hung up and Rory was left a little slack-jawed when her Mom bounced up next to her, weaved her own arm with Rory's, and started walking her towards the house.

"Sooooooooo," Lorelai was not accepting Rory's silence on the subject.

"That was a pretty smooth plan to get me to be alone with Jess, and to involve Luke in your meddling, tsk-tsk, mother,"

"Uh, well I just initiated the idea, Luke was a willing participant in the aforementioned meddling, thank you very much."

"I'm going to go back to see him tonight.."

"Oh yeah, like SEE him, or _see him,_ because the whole town sees how you make googly eyes at each other like you used to."

"Mom, he's just going to show me a book he's excited about, that's it." Although she hoped it was more than that.

"I'm sorry, that sounds awfully like how-to-get-Rory-Gilmore-into-my-bed 101, a book? C'mon Rory, I think you are a being a tiny bit dense about him totally giving you an opportunity to, ya know, hit the stacks?" Lorelai laughed at her own book puns and Rory let herself imagine how tonight was actually going to go.

* * *

Rory had spent far too long trying on outfits for tonight, but it was becoming clear that she had not packed anything that suited this occasion. With coaching from her mom and many panic attacks, it was almost six and Rory was ready to meet Jess.

Rory walked in the diner to see Jess leaning over a book on the counter, looking freshly showered and cleaned up and Rory let herself get her hopes up a little. She walked straight over to him and he lifted his head in time to catch the full picture of Rory Gilmore.

She had every bit of beauty that she always did with some newfound confidence in her walk and she was definitely all cleaned up to see him. He liked to believe it was just for him too. They gave each other a greeting smile, he nodded towards the curtain leading to the apartment, and she followed his move.

Luke was at the other end of the counter smiling to himself.

"So, you have a book for me?" Rory started as they both stood inside the apartment and hadn't made a move to sit anywhere. Everywhere in this room had history and they both seemed to feel overwhelmed with making a decision about it.

"I'm not expecting you to sit here and read the whole thing on demand, but I'm going to send it you as it is now, as long as you promise to keep it to yourself, of course. It's not published yet, I just finished the final edit on it." Jess made a move to his laptop and typed a little away at it, and then pushed it in front of her where she was prompted to put in her email so that he could send it to her. So, was that the end of this? Was the book moment over?

Before she could speak up, he was up and by her side again.

"Dinner?" He said, casually, as if they did this every day.

"Are you taking me out, Jess Mariano?" She faked incredulity and brought her hand up to point to herself.

"I think I owe you a nice meal at a restaurant, don't you?" He had a smile that didn't reach his eyes, and he held out his hand for her to take it.

"Jess, you don't owe me anything," she had started to say, but he cut her off.

"I want to, Rory. Let me take you on a proper date where the forks aren't plastic, for old time's sake?" He sounded like he was pleading a little, and it made him look sadder than he had seen him today.

"Sure, Jess." She gave him a smile and they walked downstairs together.


	5. Chapter 5

"I can't remember the last time I was even on a date, let alone the last time you and I were in a restaurant," Rory said as they walked into a small restaurant in Woodbridge. They decided to make the small drive for an ounce of privacy from Stars Hollow.

"C'mon Rory, you can't be telling me that you haven't dated in New York? I'm sure there are guys tripping over themselves to buy you a drink"

"I guess, but nothing more than first dates, I just don't think I like the guys in my field. They are all… well, people my grandma would approve of." Jess gave a laugh that shook his shoulders.

"My my, Rory are you trying to say that you don't like clean cut, respectable gentlemen anymore? And right when I was really starting to be domesticated, I'm out of the running all over again."

Rory blushed as she let his words sink in. He wanted to be in the running. They slid into a table and faced each other, and Jess was not shying away from looking at her. He had really come into this confidence that had overcome the wall he used to put up between them.

"How are you doing Jess, you know, with everything that has happened?" Rory hated to ask but she was dying to see how this man was so composed after just cancelling a wedding.

"It's hard to miss a woman that repeatedly cheated on you Rory, I think I just needed to leave and catch my breath. I really feel okay. I think a part of me always knew that we shouldn't get married, something never felt quite right, you know?" He had a sad smile, but he was trying to reassure her.

"Are you going to stay here? I mean, in Stars Hollow, permanently?" She knew she was prying, but he seemed committed to being an open book tonight.

"Well, I will have to travel back to the publishing house every once in a while, but they don't need me full time. I can edit from anywhere. What about you, is New York the foreseeable future for you?"

"I, I like my job, but I don't think staying at a magazine is right for me," she admitted out-loud for the first time.

"I think you could do anything you set your mind to, Rory Gilmore."

"Oh here come the pom poms," she chided playfully. Their whole night before the car accident came to mind and she was reminded of how supportive he was even then, before they had ever dated. He was just a boy who read as much as her and did terribly cheesy close-up magic tricks.

"I meant it then and I mean it now." He smiled but he wasn't joking. He was thinking about that night too.

"I'm sorry for what happened a few years ago, Jess. The part of my mind that was proud of you and wanted to support you and see you overwhelmed the rational part that knew where the line was drawn. I just, I keep feeling like that kiss ruined something between us and we keep pretending nothing happened. I know I hurt you Jess, and I know you are being nice and charming recently, but I just don't want to get my hopes up with you. I don't deserve you being this nice to me." Rory's eyes were welling but she was determined to aim them down at her hands so that he wouldn't see. She was not meaning to ever make that speech to him, but part of her was happier to have it in the open, even if it meant losing him. She had never gotten to say 'sorry'.

"Hey, don't cry." He lifted her chin and her wide eyed blues were clouded with tears and still the brightest in any room.

"You think I'm nice and charming, Rory Gilmore has hell frozen over?" She gave a small smile and knew he was still being too nice.

"Jess, I-" she started but he cut her off and brushed a tear off her cheek.

"As far as I'm concerned, you and I have a pretty bad track record and I won't deny that I needed time to get over the last time. But-"

"But?" Rory stopped him, and a weird rush of hope and dread filled her mind.

"Seeing you, makes me forget that there ever was a Sarah, or a Logan, and I just want to be the one next to you. I stayed away because I know how I get around you Rory and I knew I could never move on. But I want to stop trying to fight it, if-if that's what you want?" The confidence was faltering in his voice and his plea was now relying on her yes or no. He wants to try again?

"You almost just married someone Jess, are you sure you really want this?"

As a response he moved a hand back to cradle her face and kissed her slowly. One of her hands jumped to his cheek and she kissed back fiercely.

"At least we know that part still works." Jess breathed as he pulled his head back to see Rory beaming back at him.

"What do we do now?" Rory asked, hopeful but realistic.

Jess was still smiling and their faces remained close. "Ice cream?" He bit his bottom lip and held a smile as he waited to see if she knew what he was really asking.

"Only if it's in a cone," she said in mock seriousness.

"Is there any other way?" Jess added in playful posterity.

The pair practically tore out of the restaurant in search for an ice cream shop in Woodbridge. Rory tried to focus on the present but the past just kept infiltrating her mind. They both knew what they were doing by driving around like this in search of the last treat they shared together before Jess left for the first time. Rory didn't know whether to expect a full reenactment or if they were trying to make the story end happier than it did the first time.

"I think we should walk around for awhile, what do you say Dodger?"

"You don't trust me driving around with ice cream do you?" The two of them shared a smile and Jess threw an arm around Rory's shoulder and they walked the sidewalks of a town that they felt was only theirs for the night.

"Do I want to know why your face looks like that, or am I going to regret asking?" Jess asked as he saw the furrow on Rory's brow as they walked through Woodbridge on this summer night.

"I want to ask you something, but I don't want to ruin this." She looked down at the sidewalk and gave a sad smile back up at him.

"Try me." He said with full confidence.

"What's going to happen when I go back to New York in a few days?"

"You'll go back to work, you will continue to be insanely brilliant and hardworking Rory Gilmore, and I'll be around when you want me around. I'm not going to take off Rory, but I know you have a busy life; I don't expect you to leave it for me and I don't want you to." Respectable, he thought. He loved Rory because she was bound for great things, not despite them.

Rory stayed quiet too long, but nuzzled her head onto his shoulder and they stopped walking. Jess just stood there with his melting ice cream and held Rory Gilmore for one perfect moment while he waited to see if she would agree to continue this thing they had just rekindled.

"Rory, if you're in, I'm in; distance be damned, we are going to do it right this time." He felt her sliding an arm around his waist and holding tighter and he though he felt her smiling into his chest.

"I'm in."


	6. Chapter 6

"We are sorry to see you go Gilmore, you know that you will always have a job here if you need one. It truly has been a pleasure, and keep in touch, won't you?" Her editor stood to shake her hand and although there was a sadness in leaving, there was excitement brewing as well.

"Thank you for everything Ms. Wharton, I appreciate everything you did to connect me with the Times."

"You deserve it Gilmore, more than anyone I've met, make us proud." Rory smiled and nodded before exiting this office for the last time.

She had packed up her things the day before, but wanted to say goodbye to anyone she had connected with. Rory had considered staying at the magazine and making herself a remote component that could write anywhere. Then it hit her, now that she had experience at the magazine and still retained her journalistic clout from the election cycle-why not try again for the Times? She had talked to her editor about it, and Wharton had done all she could to pave the way for Rory. Rory only had one condition involved-she didn't want to work from New York. She wanted to work from home, but would be willing to be sent on assignments as they came in. It was risky to have expectations from a job you hadn't gotten yet, but journalism had the ability to be flexible.

On her way out of the office, Rory pulled out her phone to call her mom.

"Yates and Gibbs Crematorium, you kill 'em we grill 'em!" Lorelai sung into the phone as a greeting.

"You don't have any dinner plans tonight, do you?" Rory asked as she found her car outside and slid inside.

"Rory don't get mommy's hopes up, are you coming home?!" She practically screamed into the receiver.

"Order all our favorites, I'll be there by 5! And Mom, can you do me a favor?"

"You are going to make me keep secrets aren't you?"

"I just want to be a surprise! I'm not asking you lie, just don't mention that I'm showing up tonight."

"How am I going to explain the food? I think Luke will know something is up when the fourth delivery guy shows up."

"I don't know, say it's a winter solstice thing or OH! Mom just say some celebrity he doesn't know died and you are setting up a wake."

"Well, you see that would work if it wasn't July, and if I was setting up a wake that involve inviting people over to the house. Are you hiding out on purpose? Did something happen with you-know-who?" Lorelai whispered into the phone and Rory wondered if this whole conversation had taken place somewhere public and the purpose would have been defeated.

"Not hiding, surprising. Remember? And please order Sandeep's, we can burn the house down later but it will be worth it. Love you!" Rory hung up and started on the road before any after work traffic clogged her way to Connecticut.

She hadn't told anyone about changing jobs, she didn't want a fight with Jess or to get her mom's hopes up. The last few times when Jess had called, she knew that omitting it was just as bad as lying about it, but she didn't want him to talk her out of it. He gave her the initiative to leave, but how could anyone argue the Times? This was a step up, and it gave them a real chance if she could leave the city.

* * *

"Lorelai, is that Indian food? Is Rory here?" Jess had opened the door to the Crap Shack and the smell had put together the pieces far faster than Lorelai had time to cover up.

"Uh, I like Indian food! It's for me! I have some mystery bags from Al's and pizzas coming, want to take a doggy bag?" Her speech was as fast paced as usual, but there was a nervousness in it that meant that she was uncomfortable about something.

"Huh," Jess said as he saw the spread on the coffee table in front of the tv. There was enough food for ten people, or two Gilmores.

Lorelai made an obvious attempt to look at the clock behind his head and Jess saw that she clearly wanted him to hurry out. So naturally, he sat himself on the couch and pulled a book out of his pocket.

"Jess, I don't want you to feel like you aren't welcome or anything; but I uh- Luke and I sort of have a date night planned and he should be here any minute. But please, take as food as you want!" She was squirming, and lying.

"Well, if he's coming here, I guess I need to help close the diner up, right?" He was fishing for her to break, but she nodded over-exaggeratedly and pulled him off the couch and rushed him towards the door.

"Oh yup, better scurry on over there! He must have forgot about our date!" And Jess found himself on the porch, clearly not invited back inside. He had just come from the diner and knew that Luke hadn't mentioned any special plans tonight. It had to be Rory, right? But if she was coming home, why didn't she call him? And why couldn't he just meet her at the house when she showed up? Jess felt like this was a plan devised to exclude him, and if she didn't want to see him then he would make himself sparse.

* * *

Rory was getting a phone call as she was pulling into Stars Hollow, and she saw that it was her mom. She ignored the call because she was going to be at the house in just a few seconds and they could talk then. Rory pulled into her driveway and saw that only her mom's jeep was in the driveway and hoped that she would only open the door to find her mom and lots of food.

"Kid, look you gotta call Jess or go see him because I totally think he figured out you were coming. He was just here and smelled the Indian food and I made up a story about Luke and he is going to find out very shortly that it's not true." Lorelai was practically pushing her back off the porch, and although Rory was glad for the warning, she was confused on why she was trying to keep her and Jess from fighting.

"Yeah, okay, I'll be right back, don't start any movies without me!" Then Rory found herself running instead of taking her car, because in situations like these, you had to run. Rory realized as she was making her mad dash that she didn't really know where to look if Jess wasn't at the diner, and she prayed he was going to be sitting at the counter and would smile when she showed up. Had she already screwed this up? They hadn't seen each other since she had gone back to New York after they had gotten back together, but they called and texted every night, and other than this elephant in the room; things had been going really well.

As she entered the town square, in a pathetic sprint, she peered around to make sure he wasn't outside somewhere. She rushed into Luke's and saw that he wasn't there, but Luke was standing and starting confused at a panting Rory that could barely speak.

"Rory? What's wrong? Where you running? Was someone chasing you?" Luke was teasing now that he noticed there was no panic or tears on her face.

"Jess, where's Jess?"

"He was on his way to your house. He's not there?"

"Ah crap!" Rory turned and ran back outside and hoped like hell that Jess was on the bridge.

"Please please please please be there," was her mantra as she cut across streets to get to the bridge.

She stopped running when she saw him. She tried to catch her breath as she walked up to him. He was reading, although she couldn't see the cover to tell what it was.

"Hi" She said before dropping down next to him. He didn't even look at her. She was going to have to explain first.

"I-I just wanted to surprise you, I wasn't trying to keep this from you." She said in a small voice to herself.

"Rory, we both know that you have been hiding more than this visit from me. I almost just married someone that was really good at keeping things from me, and I thought you and I were going to try harder this time." He was still looking down at his book but he wasn't reading. He wasn't yelling, but he was irritated, and he was right.

"I was going to tell everyone tonight Jess, I just didn't want to jinx anything until I was absolutely sure it was going to happen." He looked at her and searched her face to see if it was telling the truth.

"What's going on Rory?"

"Jess, I got a job at the Times." Rory was trying to hide her excitement because she wasn't sure how he was going to react yet.

"What-Ror-really?" Jess dropped his attitude and pulled her into a hug. "Rory that is so amazing, I just- wow. You did it."

"Jess, that's not all." She said as she pulled out of the hug to face him.

"I'm leaving New York. They might send me around for assignments, but I'm going to write from home. From here." She waited. He stared.

"Rory, why would you leave? You got the Times!"

"Jess, I can write from anywhere! I won't be in an office anymore, so there is no point in staying in apartment alone and paying to be in the city. It's a done deal, I have my first article next week." Jess gave a smile that betrayed his eyes.

"You are still upset?" She asked, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I just wish you could have told me about all this, we talk every day Rory, and you kept all of this a secret. I am happy, and I'm proud of you, I really am. I just wish you had let me in so I didn't have to run here pouting because my girlfriend wanted to see her mom and not me." He gave a small laugh by the end of his speech. He was making fun of his own reactions, but she knew that there was truth in the plea.

"I have a mountain of food at my mom's house that I could use some help with, and I have to tell my mom that the prodigal daughter has to move back into her childhood bedroom again. Will you come?"

"It's okay, go have a night with your mom, besides, you know that the two of you can finish all that food without help. But Rory?"

"Yes?" She said as they stood up and held hands.

"Make sure you burn the house down afterwards, that's the only way to get the smell out." And with a kiss on the cheek and a wink, he was heading back towards town.


	7. Chapter 7

Rory had spent the rest of the night with her mom and later Luke when the diner had closed up. She had filled them in on her plan to move home and work for the Times from Stars Hollow. Her mom was nothing but giddy and kept saying "The band's back together!" and Luke was caught smiling more than usual and made sure to give Rory one of those awkward but perfect hugs. He was happy for her, but also grateful for how happy his wife was going to be with Rory back home. Those two filled each other up with just the right combination of caffeine and banter that no one else could hold a candle to, and he was happy to have it around again.

After completely gorging themselves and ignoring movies in the background, Lorelai had retired to bed shortly after Luke. Rory was still so riled up from her mother's energy and the vat of coffee supplied for the night that she thought about one more things she should do tonight.

Rory had snuck out to meet Jess after her mom and Luke had gone to sleep. She had slipped into the diner apartment to find Jess asleep on the couch with a book on his chest and an arm over his eyes. She was going to walk over and cover him with a blanket and then slip back out because she didn't want to wake him, but when she made the move to the other end of the couch she leg caught the coffee table and the sound was enough to wake Jess up.

"Breaking and entering is punishable by law you know," he said smiling a sleepy grin at her.

"Sorry I woke you up, I seem to be making a habit of it. Go back to sleep, I'll come see you in morning." She bent to kiss his forehead and turned to leave but he held onto her and made her stop and look back at his face.

"Stay." He said and patted the couch next to him.

"Jess, I should get back home, my mom doesn't know I left." But Rory was saying what she knew she should say more than what she really wanted to do.

"Stay a little? I'm awake now, I want to see you."

"Okay." Rory sat down next to Jess on the couch while he adjusted and put his book on the side table.

She didn't say anything or make a move for a moment, and the two of them took turns looking each other over.

"Hi." he said, breaking the tension with a smile. Why was she so nervous? They had spent weeks on this couch glued to each other before.

"Hi," she smiled back and he moved in to kiss her. She was relieved at finding that this broke the awkwardness and brought her back to what they were good at.

They kissed for a while and Jess slowly moved over so that they were laying facing each other on the couch. The two barely fit anymore and Jess caught Rory from falling off the edge a few times.

"Rory, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think we can both fit on the couch like we used to." Jess said through deep breaths and a goofy smile on his face. Rory knew he was right. Although her body hadn't changed much, Jess had grown considerably from a skinny teen to a grown man. A very very handsome grown man. She blushed a little thinking about it and the smile that played on her lips was not one her grandmother would have approved of.

"Do you want to? Uh, well, move to the bed?"

"Rory Gilmore, I think you came here tonight to seduce me." Jess gave a fake gasp and then kissed the girl with the nervous question and the dirty mind.

"I would have brought the shirt if that was my intention." Lane would have been so proud.

"Yeah, it would have looked good on the floor," Jess said with sarcastic regret.

"Jess!" Rory knocked him lightly on the arm and they both laughed.

"Hey, you started it, I'm taking notes over here."

"Write this down." Rory said as she got off the couch and took Jess by the hand. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he held onto her hips as she walked him across the apartment to his old bed. He made quick work of following her lead and started kissing her neck. His legs were the ones backed up against the bed, and Rory didn't have the strength to push him onto it. Just then he flipped her around and pinned her under him and continued the kissing while their legs dangled off the edge.

"Hey, I can't catch my breath"

"You're not supposed to"

* * *

"Hey, have you seen Rory? She must have woken up before us and gone somewhere." Lorelai said as she was grabbing a donut from Luke's display case and pouring herself a coffee behind the counter.

"They're upstairs." He said without any inflection and hurrying Lorelai back to the other side of the counter where she knew she ought to be.

"I'm sorry, what?" She choked out after swallowing enough donut to form words. "They? Rory and Jess 'they'? You saw them? Oh my god don't tell me, I don't want to know. Okay tell me! Were they, ya know?" And Lorelai stopped her meltdown to make lewd hand gestures.

"Oh god stop that!" Luke shielded his eyes and made a face. "They were reading, get your head of the gutter lady."

"Oh right, reading. Heard that one before. I'm going up." Lorelai made the dash up the stairs with Luke close behind to open the apartment door and find Rory and Jess on the couch, reading.

"Told you," Luke whispered and kissed her shocked cheek and then went back down to the diner.

"I told you she would see your smoke signal. Good morning, Lorelai. Isn't it a little early for you on a weekend?" Jess gave a mocking head tilt and smirked the way he used to. Although he and Lorelai were on good terms, they liked to rile each other up every once in a while.

"Hey mom, sorry I was gone when you got up, I figured you were going to sleep in today and I didn't want to bug."

"Uh huh," Lorelai said while scanning the apartment for evidence.

"So, why don't we come down and have breakfast with you in a few minutes?" Rory piped up to get her mom to leave sooner rather than later.

"Why not right now? Rory?" Lorelai was waiting for the story but was keeping a tone of amusement while she snooped around.

"Oh, you know, just wanted to finish this page and then I'll be ready." Rory said lifting her book up slightly.

"Okay kid. Oh hey one thing though and then I'll meet you downstairs. Your book's upside down." Lorelai said and turned to leave the apartment.

Lorelai closed the door snickering and Jess couldn't help but let out a laugh as Rory groaned. The pair fixed themselves up and found themselves almost falling over each other to get ready quickly.

They had woken up when they heard Luke opening up the diner that morning and threw clothes on haphazardly and they both jumped onto the couch. Luke came up half on hour later to the two of them reading on the couch, the faces of innocence. He didn't overthink finding those two reading this early on a Saturday alone in the apartment. He didn't realize that they had heard his coming up the stairs and grabbed books off the table quickly to act busy, when they had found themselves kissing and sharing lazy moments just resting their foreheads together before starting the day. They had fallen into the same loving daze after he left, but made sure to keep their safety nets close in case he came back up. Something made this feel like high school again and it was more thrilling trying not to get caught than Rory remembered.

Rory and Jess went slowly downstairs and shared one last long kiss behind the curtain before leaving their bubble.

"Finish that page, Rory?" Lorelai said from the counter as the pair strolled out. Luke tried to catch the exchange's meaning but let it lie.

"Yeah Rory, how was that page?" Jess smiled slyly as he slipped behind the counter to get Rory a coffee.

"So, I think I'm going to just Porky Pig my way out of this one," Rory said sliding back off her stool to leave. She gave the group a smile and waved at Jess before heading out. Rory needed a shower and a moment to bask in the feeling of being with Jess before letting her mom tease her about it. She was a grown woman now, she didn't have to get defensive about her love life.

"Rory!" Lane was running through the square and jumped in front of Rory smiling ear to ear.

"Geez! Lane how are you so fast?" Rory said, feeling tired after watching her friend run so fast.

"I have boys, now look, I want to know everything. The shirt worked right?" Lane said wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

When Rory briefly fumbled for words and Lane took this as affirmation.

"Ah ha! I knew it! 'Jess and Rory: the later years' is official then?"

"I think that's safe to say," Jess said as he wrapped his arms around Rory from behind and kissed her cheek. Rory smiled at the contact and Lane gave a victorious squeal before making her excuse to run back home.

"I didn't tell your mom anything, but nothing gets past Lorelai. She told me that she wants the full written account of last night laminated and bound by tonight and that I am to keep my paws off of you long enough for you to focus on your work at some point." Jess was walking Rory back to her house, still holding her and giving her little neck kisses while he relayed her mom's silly threats.

"And what did you say to that?" Rory jested.

"Well, I said that if you would stop climbing all over me I would keep my paws to myself," Jess' laugh gave his facade away and Rory knew this was a speech reserved for her ears.

"So you ran away under pressure, right?" She confirmed, catching his eyes.

"Oh absolutely." He deadpanned. "I'm sure if Luke could hide, he would have also. I don't think the streets are safe at a time like this." And with that, the two reached Rory's porch steps.

"Oh come on," Rory said when Jess faltered at the door, "she's not mad, and she won't bite."

"I have suffered the wrath of your mother many times Rory, and that was when we were a whole lot more evangelical than last night. I don't think prolonged exposure is going to make her my biggest fan." She tugged at his shirt sleeves and pulled him inside despite his plea.

"She likes you know, remember? She's just teasing you. Now come inside and we'll have breakfast and pretend to read some more."

"So, I'll cook breakfast while you actually read?"

"See, it's like you were made for me." Rory gave him a chaste kiss before leading him into the kitchen.


	8. Chapter 8

"Lorelai Gilmore? My name is Sarah, I called a few weeks ago about attending my wedding? I was just calling to inform you that the wedding has been postponed and we will call again when there is a new date. Have a great evening, Bye."

Rory replayed the message a few times while laying in her childhood bed. She had been writing her first article for the Times and had kept her phone off so that she could concentrate. She has dinner plans with Jess, and was supposed to be meeting him, ten minutes ago. Postponed? Not cancelled? _Postponed_ meant that there was definite hope in there being a wedding. A wedding between her boyfriend and the woman who cheated on him. The message said _we._ She hadn't told anyone about the message yet. Was she just supposed to go see Jess and pretend it wasn't freaking her out this monumentally? To Rory's knowledge, Jess hadn't left Stars Hollow, and she was pretty sure that he wouldn't be hiding anything. Right?

"Hey kid, one of the Outsiders is at our door asking for you. I told him that he wasn't allowed in if you were still in your writing bubble, but I can see that is has been popped already. You okay? Want me to get Jess?"

Rory slid the phone into her pocket and got up. She straightened her clothes a little and put on her best DAR smile and started lying through her teeth.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine I just lost track of time and my mind was fried from writing. I'm ready, I'll go talk to him."

"You lost track of time while looking at a device that tells time?" Lorelai questioned as she could see her daughter was hiding something.

But Rory was already moving past her doorway to see Jess leaning against the door. He didn't come straight to her, but looked her over a minute.

"Ready? Sorry I kept you waiting. Let's go eat I'm starving!" Rory was all talk and rushing and Jess stayed leaning against the door, blocking her escape.

"I'm supposed to play along that nothing is wrong, is that it?" Jess monotone, but there was an iciness in his delivery. He opened the door and went out without checking to see if Rory was following. Jess was making his way across the lawn and Rory knew that now was the time to run after him. Right? She was afraid that if she let him storm away, it would be admitting that she was hiding something.

"Jess wait!" Rory run after Jess and caught his arm to stop him while she caught her breath. Jess stopped but he wouldn't look Rory in the eyes.

"Jess, I'm sorry I lost track of time but I wasn't trying to avoid you." Rory was pleading but she was still covering her tracks. Jess stood stood without looking at her.

"Rory, I had to talk to you about something really important today and I wanted to warn you about it before you got blindsided. And then I come over and you are putting on this production and I don't deserve it, Rory. I keep trying to walk into this honest and trusting but you keep holding back."

"Would your warning have anything to do with the voicemail on my phone from your ex?" Rory said as she pulled her phone out and showed him. He finally looked at her and his anger faded to empathy. He was too late then.

"Jess, listen to the message." Rory handed him the phone and waited. She watched his face sort of grimace at her voice and then drop in shock. He held the phone in his hands a minute before handing it back to Rory.

"I think she is just saying that so that she won't be bombarded with questions about why the wedding is off. Rory, I swear that it really is over with her. In any case, I'm over it and she can't keep postponing a wedding without a groom." His demeanor had gone off of the offensive and now he was doing damage control.

"Promise?" Rory said in a small voice. She believed him, and her rational mind was trying to calm the over emotional side.

Jess pulled her in for a tight hug and he held her there, on the sidewalk of Rory's street.

"I'm not going to mess this up, this thing we are doing. I'm yours, 100%. You can brand me if you want. We can get matching face tattoos. Anything I have to do to prove to you that I'm not going anywhere."

"Well, there is something you could do." Rory said as she lifted her head to look at Jess just an inch from her own face.

"Anything."

* * *

"Taylor, I swear that I have no idea who did it... No, Taylor it wasn't him... Yes, I'm really sure. He's been upstairs all day and I think I would have noticed if he walked through my diner dragging your banner behind him!" Luke slammed his phone down and stared at Taylor through the glass that was between the diner and the ice cream shop.

Taylor pinpointed Jess as the natural excuse when things in Stars Hollow went awry. Most the time, Jess was the cause; but that was not often within Luke's knowledge. This time a banner for the end of summer carnival was stolen from in front of Miss Patty's.

"Hey, Jess?" Luke was calling upstairs to the apartment. Jess peeked his head out, tried to hide that his body was without a shirt, and looked at Luke who was still on the staircase.

"Yeah?"

"Did you steal the banner for the stupid summer thing?"

"Nope."

"You sure?"

"I think I would be sure if I had, anything else?"

"No, I guess that's it. Just watch out for Taylor in the next few days."

"When don't I?" Jess smiled and disappeared back behind the apartment door.

Sitting on the couch was a Miss Rory Gilmore, unclad, posing and was slyly smiling at Jess who was standing in front of her, speechless.

"Paint me like one of your french girls, Jack."

"You really hated that banner, didn't you?"

"It should have been you and I at that Hazy Days carnival, I should have stayed that summer and admitted the truth to myself a lot sooner. So, I'm making a new memory with it, and then we can return the banner before anyone misses it too much."

"New memories?"

Rory pointed to the other end of the apartment to Jess' bed and saw that Rory had hung up the banner above his bed. She had crossed the room to him, still naked, and grabbed his hand and led him to his bed.

"You never cease to surprise me, Rory Gilmore." Jess said as he wrapped himself up in her.

"It's more fun that way."

* * *

"Hey where did you disappear to? I thought we were going to have a movie night?" Lorelai said from the couch as Rory strolled in around sundown. Her look was undeniably happy and dazed.

"Oh, I got a little well, sidetracked. I'm here now! Pop something in and we will eat enough for three movies!"

"Sidetracked? Like you were sidetracked the other morning above the diner?" Lorelai said. "Grab more pizza rolls! Then get back here and spill!"

Rory returned with as much food as she could hold and had changed into pajamas.

"Is it weird if we talk about Jess? I just feel like there is so much history with you and him that you are going to get mad."

"Mad? Kid, I made sure you came to see him when he first came back! That is not the action of someone trying to keep you two apart. I may not have liked him in the past, but I can't deny how he cares for you. If there is something I would be made about then that means that there was definitely intercourse."

"Mom! God don't say intercourse you sound like Paris."

"Oh sorry, but that's the least gross word that I can use while talking about my own daughter. There was, wasn't there?"

Rory nodded, and she felt 17 again.

"Twice," Rory said beaming to herself and blushing. "Mom, it's so, I can't even describe it. It's like we are just on this wavelength where everything just makes sense and he's so sweet and just-well, you know."

"Oh yeah, I saw the washboard kid, no need to explain. I'm just glad it feels right, sweets. I think you two can last, I really do."

Rory was reliving the last few weeks in her head and there was a sense of calm that she hadn't had in a long time.

"Just be more careful? I remember how often Luke or I walked in on you two in high school, and that was without, you know, _that._ I really like my eyes, I can't gouge them out while I'm still young."

"Mom, it's not like there are many places to go, we are both living at home. And out there, there's the town. No where is really safe."

"Have you thought about, look I'm not trying to kick you out because I love having you here, but have you thought about getting an apartment? I'm not trying to tie you down if you think that you are going to be gone for work all the time, but I know you had a set up in New York that allowed a lot more privacy than your old room does. I'm sure there are lots of people that would love to rent to you, you are a demi-god here."

"Demi-god?"

"Well I'm a God so that makes you a demi-god, naturally."

"Right, naturally." Rory laughed but she was reserved for the rest of the movie. An apartment in Stars Hollow? Rory had always pictured herself at home, but maybe that was naive. She did want her own space, and her books could be displayed instead of tucked under the bed. And Jess? Would he stay above Luke's forever? At least in Jess's situation he had the place to himself at night, but Luke sort of walked through during the day.

"You okay kid? I wasn't trying to mess with your plans, I just want you to know that Luke and I will help with anything you need. If you want us to build you a house in the backyard I'm sure I could convince Luke." She was joking but Rory knew that her mom could do anything her will wanted.

"I think I'm going to talk to Jess about it, see what he thinks. I've done a lot of decision making without him lately and I don't want to keep leaving him out of the equation."

"So, this thing with you two is getting serious already?"

"I don't know, maybe? It feels like we have already been back together for month not weeks. It's just different this time, you know? He sounds really serious about making it work and last this time."

"Are you going to marry him?"

"Whoa! Mom we just got back together!"

"Well you want to move in with him don't you? And you just said Jess wants to make it last. Plus, Luke and I have a bet going and I want to know what my odds are."

"Do you think he'd want to move in with me? What if he says no?"

"He won't." Lorelai gave Rory a reassuring squeeze on her knee. This conversation felt unreal.

"You don't know that!"

"Rory, he won't say no."


	9. Chapter 9

_This will be the last chapter of In Cones. Thank you so much to everyone that took the time to read till the end. I wanted to get this story out quickly so that it could be binged like the series. Watch out for a new literati story coming soon! And please leave a review and tell me your favorite moments!_

* * *

Jess was sitting on his bed writing furiously on his laptop when Rory had come up to the apartment. His hair was a mess and he was only in boxers. He must have woken up inspired and part of her was sad she had to interrupt the scene. Rory had woken up the next day after the conversation with her mom about getting an apartment and had found that everything seemed a little clearer after sleeping on it. A few pro/con lists may have been involved also.

He rose his eyes to see Rory staring at him, and he smiled a tired smile.

"Hi" She said coming towards him and sitting on the edge of his bed. Jess shifted the laptop so it wasn't between them and looked her over nicely but tentatively.

"Hi."

"Sorry to interrupt your work, I just wanted to ask you something." Rory seemed a ball of nervous energy and it was rubbing of on Jess.

"Want to ask me over some danishes?" Jess moved to get up, but Rory put a hand out to stop him.

"I don't want to lose my nerve, Jess let me get this out."

"Rory, what's going on?" Jess reached to take her hand and they both looked at them for awhile.

"Well, I just, I want to keep you involved with something pretty big that I'm considering. I don't want you to feel pressured to join me, but I know that I should talk to you about it so that it's out in the open."

"Jesus Rory, I'm dying over here; tell me what's going on." Jess was a little exasperated but was smiling still and squeezing her hand tighter.

"Well, I was talking to my mom last night, and I think that I want to get my own apartment."

"Oh, that's it? Well yeah, I mean that makes sense. It's a good idea, I wouldn't have expected that from Lorelai but it seems like the right time for you." Jess' tension eased and he was back to being a calming energy.

"You agree?" Hopeful, Rory tried to examine whether he was being honest.

"I mean, if it's what you think you want Rory, why not? It would probably make it easier to work from home if you had a little more space."

"Yeah, and if you wanted to-you know, you could-" Rory dropped the speech and saw Jess grinning like a child.

"Are you asking for the occasional sleepover Rory Gilmore or are you asking to move in together?"

"I-I, uh," Rory blushed furiously and knew that he could see right through her in every situation. "If you don't think it's too fast..."

"It would be cheaper if we went in on one together, if you could stand to have me around all the time." Rory was staring at this man that was so giving with this easy affection and open communication that sometimes she had to remind herself that he was the same man that she had known for years.

"Jess, you would really want to?"

"Why not? Could be fun."

"Wow, you seem you calm about this." Jess lifted her chin and kissed you chastely.

"Rory, it just makes sense. You and I can write all day and you will be right there any time I want to kiss you. I think it sounds like a pretty good idea. But this isn't about me. What do you want?"

"Well, if you moved in I would definitely have more books to read." Rory watched Jess and he was smiling but there was something else in his eyes that kept her gaze.

"Okay book thief, I hope there are other benefits of moving in that don't include your library. So, this is happening, right? Should I be looking for places or do you want to wait awhile?" Rory was blown away by his forthcoming attitude about this whole thing.

"Maybe you could feed me before I make any more decisions?"

"I love that we had this milestone in our relationship while I wasn't wearing pants. There seems to be a trend this time around doesn't there?" Jess got up and threw on jeans, white shirt, and converse. Then held his hand out for Rory to take.

"You know, in our apartment you can make that a more frequent occurrence. It could be like a clothing optional set up and we will just have to invest in really thick curtains." Rory was teasing as they climbed down the stairs for the aforementioned danishes.

They spent the morning talking about everything they would do with this place they would fill with literature, good music, and lots and lots of coffee. Rory floated the rest of the day after she let Jess get back to writing. They were going to move in together. She tried to overlook how crazy it sounded because it felt so _right._

* * *

 _"_ I was right, wasn't I" Lorelai said answering her phone. She was waiting to see how things went with Jess hours ago so she assumed it either went very well, or very badly.

"Oh mom, I hadn't even gotten the words out yet and he knew. And he was so calm and easy going like it was the most natural thing he had ever heard. I just feel like I'm in this dream world where everyone knows what's going to happen and I'm just a step behind trying to catch up."

"Not to sound rude, but Rory you have always been a little transparent when it came to how you feel about Jess. I'm just happy that he has the sense this time to let it happen."

"We are going to move in together Mom, the last guy I lived with was Logan and I just don't know how it's going to be. What if I drive him crazy and he wants out? What if it's too soon? Oh my god what was I thinking? Just asking him to move in with me right after we start dating. I must look so clingy and insane."

"Rory, you just told me that he said yes! Pump the brakes on the freak out for a second. You are adults. You are actually talking and communicating like a functioning relationship should. Jess is an honest guy, if he didn't feel ready he would have told you. Jess is not Logan. And he cooks, Rory, he COOKS FOOD. Do not turn that down!"

Rory grumbled and sighed a little because she was having a hard time admitting that this was just going well because it was meant to.

"You think it's going to work out?" Rory knew that her mom was all about Jess this time around, but she also knew that her mom usually had a good sense to tell her if she was making a mistake.

"Yeah, kid. I really do."

"Thanks, for everything Mom. This only happened because you gave me the push to do it. And I'm really happy you did."

"Don't mention it. I'll see you at home?"

"I guess I have to start repacking, so I'll be home all night. Bye Mom."

* * *

Jess walked into the Gilmore home behind Luke carrying groceries. The boys were going to cook something fancy to celebrate. Rory was in her room reading, surrounded by a pile of books on her bed and she was wearing overalls and a bun of tousled strands on her head. He forehead showed all the signs of deep concentration and Jess stood there smiling at her complete obliviousness.

Lorelai was sitting at the kitchen table, supervising, while the men were chopping this and sauteed that. Rory emerged a second later after hearing extra voices and joined her at the table.

"Well look who surfaced! I've been trying to get your attention but you were in another world. Luke and Jess are cooking for us, so in return I am reenacting 'Funny Girl'."

"Please stop her," Jess whispered into her ear after swooping over to kiss her cheek. She smiled and watched him return to cook next to Luke.

"What's the occasion for the feast?" Rory piped up as her mom poured her a glass of wine.

"Well, word on the street is that the two of you are moving in together, and Jess wanted to do something special for everyone." Luke was enjoying every second of Jess trying to pretend he wouldn't have said anything so emotional.

"Well, cheers to Rory and Jess." Lorelai said raising her glass and smiling at her daughter, "May we never have to know what you two are doing alone together."

"I'll drink to that!" Luke said and nudged his nephew. Rory thought for a moment she saw Jess blush, but he was hiding a smile under the pretend annoyance.

For one perfect night, the four of them ate and laughed and drank, and Jess had never felt more part of a family than this moment.


End file.
